The Veggie-Hater’s Guide to Cooking Vegetables

“I don’t really know how to cook vegetables” is an all too common phrase. If you’re not naturally the next Julia Child or Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen then cooking can seem daunting, inevitably complicated and overly technical. In reality, cooking can be very simple, especially when it concerns vegetables.

In terms of flavor for any of the following options, remember that herbs and spices can make some of the most delicious and lowest calorie options! Spend some time in the seasonings section of your grocery store and purchase a couple low-sodium choices to play with. Remember, most sauces can come with a great deal of added sugar. Things like teriyaki, BBQ, etc. Look very closely at the “Total Carbohydrates” on the nutrition panel to be aware of how much sugar you might be choosing in a sauce. You can add your seasoning or sauce to any of the following cooking methods below!

5 easy ways to cook vegetables:

Steam your veggies! This option is low in fat compared to others, unless you add additional fat after the steaming process for flavor. Steaming simply requires a medium-sized pot on the stove, plenty of water or broth, and if you’d like, a basket that will fit inside the pot to hold the veggies while they cook (although this really isn’t always necessary). Bring the water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, put veggies in the water until their vibrant or as soft as you’d like. Drain the liquid over the sink, and add your chosen seasoning or sauce. Steaming works well with veggies like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, onion, peas, green beans, and the like. (You can also steam thin strips of chicken if you’d like to add some protein to your veggies!)

Sauté your veggies! While this option certainly involves more fat than steaming, fat in moderation is part of a balanced diet, especially if you use a healthy source of fat like olive oil or sesame oil. To sauté, place a pan on the stove and set the head to medium-high. Add a tablespoon of your chosen oil and your veggies. The more veggies you’re cooking, the more oil you’ll need but I caution you to remember that in this situation, less is more! Nobody wants their veggies soaked in oil. Add your chosen seasoning or sauce. Use a wooden spoon to shift the veggies around as they cook. How long you sauté is based on whether you like your veggies to remain a bit crunchy or if you prefer softer (or soggier) veggies. Sliced up veggies like bell peppers, green beans, tomato, mushrooms, onion, broccoli, and asparagus are great in a sauté! (You can easily add sliced pieces of meat to the sauté to cook as well!)

Broil your veggies! This option can include a healthy source of fat (like olive oil) or not. Set your oven to the low broil setting. Place a piece of tin foil on a brownie pan or use a glass dish. Use a spray (like PAM) or brush oil onto the tin foil to prevent your veggies from sticking.Layer all the veggies your heart desires (sliced onions, bell peppers, tomato, asparagus, etc.).Now here comes the decision to add fat or not add fat. If you’d like to, drizzle a little olive oil or sesame oil, for example, lightly across the veggies. Again, less is more! Then add your season to the veggies, and place in the oven. How long to leave it in there is up to you, again, based on how cooked you like your veggies. If you’d prefer they maintain some crunch, then 10 minutes or less will be plenty. (While you can broil meat, it would need a great deal more time than the veggies, so they shouldn’t be done on the same pan).

Stir-fry your veggies! Very similar to sautéing, stir-frying simply implies that the temperature is hotter and the cooking happens faster! Using a wok (a very rounded and deep pan), turn your stove on as hot as it can go, add 1-2 tablespoons of your choice of oil, then add your veggies. Add your chosen seasoning or sauce. Stay nearby the stove because these veggies will cook quickly and need a bit of shifting and shuffling as they cook. (You’ve seen the guys flipping veggies in the air on those cooking shows, right? Well, don’t flip yours that high, but do add a little lift to help them shift around!)

Grill your veggies! If grilling is an option you have, cut a bunch of your favorite veggies into square-like or chunk-sized pieces. Using wooden or metal skewers (that are easily found in the grilling/seasoning aisle of your grocery store) stack your veggies in a fun arrangement on the skewers (including bite-sized pieces of protein, too, if you’d like). Brush a light coating of oil on the veggies–if you want to–and place the skewers in the grill while your burgers are cooking! Remove them when they are grilled to your liking (usually with a bit of charred, black edging). Season to your tastebuds’ desire. Now that burger won’t be so lonely and desperately wishing for a vegetable cohort!

All of the options above can be done within 15 minutes! If you have time to wait for a frozen pizza to cook in the oven, you have time to cook yourself some vegetables! Don’t be afraid to experiment and play around.

A variant on your broiling method is roasting. Although it takes a little longer, it gives veggies a rich and savory taste, often changing veggies that are bitter when raw into things that almost taste sweet. I like to roast brussel sprouts, cauliflower, brocolli, asparagus and baby artichokes. Cut the veggies into bite size pieces, toss with olive oil, garlic and pepper and then bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 deg F, flip them halfway. I use LOTS of garlic.

http://davidedelman.com/ David Edelman

I am also a huge fan of roasting, especially broccoli. Sometimes I’ll toss a little shredded cheddar on top at the end if I’m craving some savoriness or want a heavier snack. That’s probably one of the most fool-proof ways to cook, too, so long as you beware of burning/removing all of the moisture.